Issue #33: Self-Awareness, Mortality, and Laying the Foundation.

Interesting Thought: Self-Awareness and Mortality

A large part of self-awareness—the ability to know what we really want—is a bit odd in that one of the best ways to achieve it is to think not more but rather less about ourselves. When we step outside of our day-to-day selves we cut through noise and clutter and realign with what matters most. One of the most powerful ways to do this is also one of the most uncomfortable: reflecting on mortality. Yet grappling with the end of our literal self has a unique way of making clear what we want to do with it in the limited time we have. Reading a memoir or essay about death and dying helps us to figure out what we hope to get out of life and living. When we mindfully confront our inevitable end we pay more attention to what we want to do prior to it.

In her brave and beautiful book The Bright Hour, the late Nina Riggs writes, “Living with a terminal disease is like walking on a tightrope over an insanely scary abyss. But living without a terminal disease is also like walking over an insanely scary abyss, only with some fog or cloud cover obscuring the depths a little more.”

Books like Riggs's help lift the fog for a bit.

And while reading is so effective because the act commands our full attention, even just spending a minute or two regularly thinking about the fact that we'll all die—some of us sooner than others—can also be helpful.

Coaching Corner: Laying the Foundation

“A Great fall season is made in the summer”

I (Steve) speak these words to my college team every spring, as we head into summer training to prepare for the fall cross country season. The message is simple: If we wait until competition time to start worrying about getting fit, we are too late. Once we are in season, the focus shifts to sharpening and refining, bringing the fitness to full fruition. If we don’t have a summer foundation, then we are attempting to build and refine at the same time, which rarely works.

The in-season work is the fun part. We get to run fast, set new personal bests, and observe firsthand our progress. When we are in the summer, however, progress is more abstract and the work becomes an almost mind-numbing process of nailing the basics over and over again. In running that mean lots of monotonous miles run and repetitive form work. In other activities, that might mean dedicating a block of time to the not-so-sexy basics or putting effort into menial background work.

There’s little glory in the summer training grind, just as there’s little glory in learning the foundational knowledge of any subject. We’d much rather be performing fast intervals, or allowing our inner creativity to fly free on our latest project. But we can’t get there unless—until—we nail the basics. Whether in running or in life, you can’t shortcut the process of growth. In the words of our friend Ryan Holiday, "Greatness comes from grunt work."

Better to do one perfect pull-up than a bunch of poorly formed ones, says Sam Graham Felsen. (Yes, this story is about pull-ups, but, like today's Coaching Corner section, it's also about so much more.)

Issue #33: Self-Awareness, Mortality, and Laying the Foundation.

Interesting Thought: Self-Awareness and Mortality

A large part of self-awareness—the ability to know what we really want—is a bit odd in that one of the best ways to achieve it is to think not more but rather less about ourselves. When we step outside of our day-to-day selves we cut through noise and clutter and realign with what matters most. One of the most powerful ways to do this is also one of the most uncomfortable: reflecting on mortality. Yet grappling with the end of our literal self has a unique way of making clear what we want to do with it in the limited time we have. Reading a memoir or essay about death and dying helps us to figure out what we hope to get out of life and living. When we mindfully confront our inevitable end we pay more attention to what we want to do prior to it.

In her brave and beautiful book The Bright Hour, the late Nina Riggs writes, “Living with a terminal disease is like walking on a tightrope over an insanely scary abyss. But living without a terminal disease is also like walking over an insanely scary abyss, only with some fog or cloud cover obscuring the depths a little more.”

Books like Riggs's help lift the fog for a bit.

And while reading is so effective because the act commands our full attention, even just spending a minute or two regularly thinking about the fact that we'll all die—some of us sooner than others—can also be helpful.

Coaching Corner: Laying the Foundation

“A Great fall season is made in the summer”

I (Steve) speak these words to my college team every spring, as we head into summer training to prepare for the fall cross country season. The message is simple: If we wait until competition time to start worrying about getting fit, we are too late. Once we are in season, the focus shifts to sharpening and refining, bringing the fitness to full fruition. If we don’t have a summer foundation, then we are attempting to build and refine at the same time, which rarely works.

The in-season work is the fun part. We get to run fast, set new personal bests, and observe firsthand our progress. When we are in the summer, however, progress is more abstract and the work becomes an almost mind-numbing process of nailing the basics over and over again. In running that mean lots of monotonous miles run and repetitive form work. In other activities, that might mean dedicating a block of time to the not-so-sexy basics or putting effort into menial background work.

There’s little glory in the summer training grind, just as there’s little glory in learning the foundational knowledge of any subject. We’d much rather be performing fast intervals, or allowing our inner creativity to fly free on our latest project. But we can’t get there unless—until—we nail the basics. Whether in running or in life, you can’t shortcut the process of growth. In the words of our friend Ryan Holiday, "Greatness comes from grunt work."

Better to do one perfect pull-up than a bunch of poorly formed ones, says Sam Graham Felsen. (Yes, this story is about pull-ups, but, like today's Coaching Corner section, it's also about so much more.)

Issue #32: A Top-Down Toolkit to Understand and Prevent Burnout

We’ve written a lot about burnout over the past few months. Yet it continues to be a hot-button issue, one that many people—physicians, teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and coaches—are frequently asking us about. This isn’t surprising. Data show that burnout (or what might be called “overtraining” in sports) impacts between 35-50 percent of professionals across diverse fields. Here are some resources—a toolkit, if you will—that can help both individuals and leaders with better understanding and combating burnout.

The Book
The entire purpose of Peak Performance was to help high-performing, highly-motivated individuals sustain their performance without burning out. We spent over two years researching and reporting on both the science of sustainable performance, and its application. Our hope is that the book provides a practical and evidence-based operating system that can be somewhat easily adopted. Here are some of the main themes, which in the book we explore in great detail:

Stress + rest = growth: Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, being in challenging and uncomfortable situations is integral to growth—cognitive, emotional, and physical. Burnout doesn’t result from intense, “stressful” work. It results from intense, stressful work that isn’t followed by appropriate rest/recovery/reflection.

Minimalist to be a maximalist: People who are able to sustain elite-level performance tend to be very good at cutting trivial stuff from their lives. Per the above equation, “stress” adds up and is not domain/activity specific. Two young physicians could be dealing with similar stress in their practice. But if one is also trying to do a million things outside of work, he or she is more likely to suffer from burnout.

Routine: While there is no one “right” routine across a population, at an individual level routines are valuable. They serve a few important functions: minimize “stress” by making certain parts of life more predictable; inherently set boundaries between work and other pursuits; prime the body and mind to be present, “in the zone” at the right time, while helping both unwind at the right time, too. (Of course, thought routines are powerful, you also need to be able to break from them occasionally.)

Purpose/Meaning: This was one of the most fascinating parts of the book. There’s emerging research (from fields as diverse as exercise science, neuroscience, and public health) that having a deeply-held purpose (or set of core values) and regularly reflecting on it helps people endure a greater perception of effort than they otherwise would. This holds true whether the task at hand is athletic, traditional workplace, or even janitorial. Unfortunately, in more and more fields—often thanks to technology, something that is otherwise helpful—workers are becoming further removed from their underlying purpose/motivation for going into their craft. This is a big problem and one that should be addressed.

Prior Newsletter: Burnout results from both HOW and WHY we work

First thing is first. Certain structural elements need to be in place to prevent burnout.

Job allows for at least 7 hours of sleep, ideally more. Rare exceptions are OK, but they need to be just that: rare. Chronic lack of sleep has a straight line to burnout.

People are spending the majority of their time doing what they signed up to do, working at their full scope/potential. All jobs have grunt work. The problem is when grunt work—especially if you didn’t sign up to do grunt work—becomes an outsized part of the job. Two people can both work long hours. If one feels like she is maximizing her potential and the other does not, the former will be fine and the latter will burnout. This is a big issue in medicine. The more organizations can ensure clinicians are spending as much time as possible doing clinical care, the better, and the more their clinicians can be pushed to work long hours while still being satisfied.

Enough time for supportive practices, such as physical activity and meditation, both of which not only support mental health but also promote creative thinking and one’s ability to manage stress.

After these structural elements are met, it is important that one’s motivation comes predominantly from within. In other words, people who are doing something because they want to be doing it—because they enjoy the activity in and of itself—are significantly less prone to burnout than those who crave externals like fame, recognition, and rewards.

Prior Article: The United States of Burnout

If you want more background on the size, scope, and broad underlying causes of burnout, read this article that Brad wrote earlier this year. Too many try to address the problem before they’ve even properly defined it.

Issue #32: A Top-Down Toolkit to Understand and Prevent Burnout

We’ve written a lot about burnout over the past few months. Yet it continues to be a hot-button issue, one that many people—physicians, teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and coaches—are frequently asking us about. This isn’t surprising. Data show that burnout (or what might be called “overtraining” in sports) impacts between 35-50 percent of professionals across diverse fields. Here are some resources—a toolkit, if you will—that can help both individuals and leaders with better understanding and combating burnout.

The Book
The entire purpose of Peak Performance was to help high-performing, highly-motivated individuals sustain their performance without burning out. We spent over two years researching and reporting on both the science of sustainable performance, and its application. Our hope is that the book provides a practical and evidence-based operating system that can be somewhat easily adopted. Here are some of the main themes, which in the book we explore in great detail:

Stress + rest = growth: Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, being in challenging and uncomfortable situations is integral to growth—cognitive, emotional, and physical. Burnout doesn’t result from intense, “stressful” work. It results from intense, stressful work that isn’t followed by appropriate rest/recovery/reflection.

Minimalist to be a maximalist: People who are able to sustain elite-level performance tend to be very good at cutting trivial stuff from their lives. Per the above equation, “stress” adds up and is not domain/activity specific. Two young physicians could be dealing with similar stress in their practice. But if one is also trying to do a million things outside of work, he or she is more likely to suffer from burnout.

Routine: While there is no one “right” routine across a population, at an individual level routines are valuable. They serve a few important functions: minimize “stress” by making certain parts of life more predictable; inherently set boundaries between work and other pursuits; prime the body and mind to be present, “in the zone” at the right time, while helping both unwind at the right time, too. (Of course, thought routines are powerful, you also need to be able to break from them occasionally.)

Purpose/Meaning: This was one of the most fascinating parts of the book. There’s emerging research (from fields as diverse as exercise science, neuroscience, and public health) that having a deeply-held purpose (or set of core values) and regularly reflecting on it helps people endure a greater perception of effort than they otherwise would. This holds true whether the task at hand is athletic, traditional workplace, or even janitorial. Unfortunately, in more and more fields—often thanks to technology, something that is otherwise helpful—workers are becoming further removed from their underlying purpose/motivation for going into their craft. This is a big problem and one that should be addressed.

Prior Newsletter: Burnout results from both HOW and WHY we work

First thing is first. Certain structural elements need to be in place to prevent burnout.

Job allows for at least 7 hours of sleep, ideally more. Rare exceptions are OK, but they need to be just that: rare. Chronic lack of sleep has a straight line to burnout.

People are spending the majority of their time doing what they signed up to do, working at their full scope/potential. All jobs have grunt work. The problem is when grunt work—especially if you didn’t sign up to do grunt work—becomes an outsized part of the job. Two people can both work long hours. If one feels like she is maximizing her potential and the other does not, the former will be fine and the latter will burnout. This is a big issue in medicine. The more organizations can ensure clinicians are spending as much time as possible doing clinical care, the better, and the more their clinicians can be pushed to work long hours while still being satisfied.

Enough time for supportive practices, such as physical activity and meditation, both of which not only support mental health but also promote creative thinking and one’s ability to manage stress.

After these structural elements are met, it is important that one’s motivation comes predominantly from within. In other words, people who are doing something because they want to be doing it—because they enjoy the activity in and of itself—are significantly less prone to burnout than those who crave externals like fame, recognition, and rewards.

Prior Article: The United States of Burnout

If you want more background on the size, scope, and broad underlying causes of burnout, read this article that Brad wrote earlier this year. Too many try to address the problem before they’ve even properly defined it.

Issue #31: If You Want to Get Better, Focus on What Really Matters

We’ll get to the meat of this week’s issue in a minute, but first: After a swift second printing, Peak Performance, the book, is back in stock! You can purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere else books are sold. If you haven’t yet read, read it! The book is our best effort and we think you’ll find immense value in it. If you’ve already read, please leave a review and continue to spread the word. Thanks for the support!

And with that…

We’ve previously written that you simply cannot ‘hack’ your way to long-term growth and performance. If any of the latest and greatest quick-fixes actually worked, there wouldn’t be an ever-expanding market for them. No coffee bean will magically help you lose weight. No tea will improve your cognitive function. No (legal) supplement will dramatically improve your strength, power, and speed.

We’ve beat this drum before but it’s a drum worth beating over and over again: Quick-fixes stop working quickly.

So, then, what does work? What are the evidence-based interventions that promote a high-performance lifestyle, reduce burnout, and support mental health?

Do Deep-Focus, Undistracted Work: Multi-tasking is an illusion. If anything, it ought to be called “half-tasking.” Research shows that when people multi-task, they are constantly switching their attention between tasks. Even though this occurs at the scale of milliseconds, it adds up. The American Psychological Association reports that when you multitask, though you think you’re getting twice as much done, you’re actually getting close to only half as much done!

Multi-tasking not only occurs at a conscious level (i.e., knowingly trying to do two things at once), but also at a sub-conscious one. Even if you aren’t actively using/checking your smartphone or other digital devices, just having them in your pocket or visibly near you can sap your cognitive energy. That’s because you end up exerting tons of energy resisting the urge to check them! All kinds of research has demonstrated that the mere presence of a smartphone detracts from your ability to produce high-quality work. This holds true in the office, the writer’s studio, or the gym.

The main takeaways: 1) Don’t multi-task—even if it feels productive, it’s destructive. 2) Remove distractions. If your unaccustomed to working in this manner, start with small chunks, even as little as 10 minutes, and gradually increase duration.

Take Breaks: Working in the above manner can be draining. For most tasks, studies show people can only sustain intense concentration and effort for 90 minutes. Much like interval training allows athletes to get the most quality work done in a given duration, so too does working in intervals allow the brain to maximize output. Science says the most productive way to work is in blocks of intense work (15-90 minutes) followed by brief breaks (5-30 minutes).

One of the best and most practical breaks is walking. For cerebral work, just a 5-15-minute walk has been shown to increase creativity. For physical work, a brief walk encourages one’s heart-rate to come down while keeping blood flowing and the body limber.

Sleep: It’s one of the most productive things you can do. Period. Aim for at least 7-8 hours. If you’re an athlete who is training HARD, even 10 hours isn’t too much. When we sleep, our bodies grow; our minds consolidate, store, and connect information; and our willpower is replenished.

We spend a lot of time discussing sleep in our book, and for good reason. Though it’s one of the most important things we can do, the vast majority of people don’t sleep enough. Some simply because they don’t prioritize sleep and don’t try (if this is you – start trying!) and others because they can’t. If you fall into the second category, start with doing an inventory of your sleep hygiene and work to correct any gaps.

Spend Time in Nature: If you have access to greenspace, immerse yourself in it often. Unfortunately, most people aren’t lucky enough to walk out their back door and onto forest trails. Rather, getting to the park or trailhead is a 30-45-minute drive. This can seem like a hassle, but it’s so well worth it. We’ve never met someone who has regretted driving so that they could spend time in nature.

Nature is good for both our mental and physical health. It lowers blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, it can help thwart anxiety, depression, and burnout, and it increases creativity. Especially in a world where so many of us spend so much time starring into screens, nature is a restorative powerhouse. Make spending time in it a priority.

Surround Yourself Wisely: The people with whom you surround yourself have a profound influence on your life. In many ways, they shape it. Research shows that motivation is contagious. If you surround yourself with driven people who exude a positive affect, you’ll performer better. What’s more is that the opposite—negative affect—is especially powerful. A study we’ve written about before found that even amongst high-achievers, groups tend to be pulled down by the least motivated person more than they are pulled up by the most motivated person.

Live on Purpose: Having a strong and deeply-held purpose for what you do is a powerful performance enhancer. Find a meaningful “why” for your work and remind yourself of it often.

Fueled by purpose, you can push harder, better, and longer. A fascinating line of new research shows that when we focus on something beyond ourselves, we may be willing to endure more effort for a longer period of time. Additionally, the more we can minimize the importance of our ego, of our literal “self,” the less fearful we’ll be. No longer in a guarded state trying to protect our literal “self” from failure, we are more likely to take constructive risks and venture beyond our perceived limits. In a paradoxical twist, thinking less about ourselves is one of the best ways to improve ourselves.

Exercise: We’ve covered this topic up the wazoo! So either just trust us that at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity is good for brain and body or read more here, here, and here.

Reflect on Your Mortality: More on this in a future newsletter, but thinking (and reading) about death and dying has a profound way of increasing self-awareness and ensuring you are spending your days how you really want to be spending them. Reflecting on your own end can be quite uncomfortable, but it’s influence on what you do while you’re alive is too important to overlook.

Upcoming Events in Northern California
On Saturday, June 24, at 3:45pm we’ll be doing a live interview with Citius Magazine, from the Hoppy Brewing Company in Sacramento. If you can’t be there, catch it on Facebook Live on Citius, after the conclusion of Saturday's USA championships!

On Monday, June 26, at 6:30 PM we’ll be joined by Mario Fraioli for a discussion on Peak Performance at the Sports Basement, Presidio, in San Francisco. Details here.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at all these events. We hope to see you there!

We also hope youcontinue to spread the word. If you liked the book, tell your friends, family, and colleagues to give it a read. We’ve been so grateful for the warm reception amongst our core community. The success of the book (which we do get paid for) enables us to continue writing this newsletter (which we don’t get paid for). So yeah, we dig the help 😊

Issue #31: If You Want to Get Better, Focus on What Really Matters

We’ll get to the meat of this week’s issue in a minute, but first: After a swift second printing, Peak Performance, the book, is back in stock! You can purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere else books are sold. If you haven’t yet read, read it! The book is our best effort and we think you’ll find immense value in it. If you’ve already read, please leave a review and continue to spread the word. Thanks for the support!

And with that…

We’ve previously written that you simply cannot ‘hack’ your way to long-term growth and performance. If any of the latest and greatest quick-fixes actually worked, there wouldn’t be an ever-expanding market for them. No coffee bean will magically help you lose weight. No tea will improve your cognitive function. No (legal) supplement will dramatically improve your strength, power, and speed.

We’ve beat this drum before but it’s a drum worth beating over and over again: Quick-fixes stop working quickly.

So, then, what does work? What are the evidence-based interventions that promote a high-performance lifestyle, reduce burnout, and support mental health?

Do Deep-Focus, Undistracted Work: Multi-tasking is an illusion. If anything, it ought to be called “half-tasking.” Research shows that when people multi-task, they are constantly switching their attention between tasks. Even though this occurs at the scale of milliseconds, it adds up. The American Psychological Association reports that when you multitask, though you think you’re getting twice as much done, you’re actually getting close to only half as much done!

Multi-tasking not only occurs at a conscious level (i.e., knowingly trying to do two things at once), but also at a sub-conscious one. Even if you aren’t actively using/checking your smartphone or other digital devices, just having them in your pocket or visibly near you can sap your cognitive energy. That’s because you end up exerting tons of energy resisting the urge to check them! All kinds of research has demonstrated that the mere presence of a smartphone detracts from your ability to produce high-quality work. This holds true in the office, the writer’s studio, or the gym.

The main takeaways: 1) Don’t multi-task—even if it feels productive, it’s destructive. 2) Remove distractions. If your unaccustomed to working in this manner, start with small chunks, even as little as 10 minutes, and gradually increase duration.

Take Breaks: Working in the above manner can be draining. For most tasks, studies show people can only sustain intense concentration and effort for 90 minutes. Much like interval training allows athletes to get the most quality work done in a given duration, so too does working in intervals allow the brain to maximize output. Science says the most productive way to work is in blocks of intense work (15-90 minutes) followed by brief breaks (5-30 minutes).

One of the best and most practical breaks is walking. For cerebral work, just a 5-15-minute walk has been shown to increase creativity. For physical work, a brief walk encourages one’s heart-rate to come down while keeping blood flowing and the body limber.

Sleep: It’s one of the most productive things you can do. Period. Aim for at least 7-8 hours. If you’re an athlete who is training HARD, even 10 hours isn’t too much. When we sleep, our bodies grow; our minds consolidate, store, and connect information; and our willpower is replenished.

We spend a lot of time discussing sleep in our book, and for good reason. Though it’s one of the most important things we can do, the vast majority of people don’t sleep enough. Some simply because they don’t prioritize sleep and don’t try (if this is you – start trying!) and others because they can’t. If you fall into the second category, start with doing an inventory of your sleep hygiene and work to correct any gaps.

Spend Time in Nature: If you have access to greenspace, immerse yourself in it often. Unfortunately, most people aren’t lucky enough to walk out their back door and onto forest trails. Rather, getting to the park or trailhead is a 30-45-minute drive. This can seem like a hassle, but it’s so well worth it. We’ve never met someone who has regretted driving so that they could spend time in nature.

Nature is good for both our mental and physical health. It lowers blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, it can help thwart anxiety, depression, and burnout, and it increases creativity. Especially in a world where so many of us spend so much time starring into screens, nature is a restorative powerhouse. Make spending time in it a priority.

Surround Yourself Wisely: The people with whom you surround yourself have a profound influence on your life. In many ways, they shape it. Research shows that motivation is contagious. If you surround yourself with driven people who exude a positive affect, you’ll performer better. What’s more is that the opposite—negative affect—is especially powerful. A study we’ve written about before found that even amongst high-achievers, groups tend to be pulled down by the least motivated person more than they are pulled up by the most motivated person.

Live on Purpose: Having a strong and deeply-held purpose for what you do is a powerful performance enhancer. Find a meaningful “why” for your work and remind yourself of it often.

Fueled by purpose, you can push harder, better, and longer. A fascinating line of new research shows that when we focus on something beyond ourselves, we may be willing to endure more effort for a longer period of time. Additionally, the more we can minimize the importance of our ego, of our literal “self,” the less fearful we’ll be. No longer in a guarded state trying to protect our literal “self” from failure, we are more likely to take constructive risks and venture beyond our perceived limits. In a paradoxical twist, thinking less about ourselves is one of the best ways to improve ourselves.

Exercise: We’ve covered this topic up the wazoo! So either just trust us that at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity is good for brain and body or read more here, here, and here.

Reflect on Your Mortality: More on this in a future newsletter, but thinking (and reading) about death and dying has a profound way of increasing self-awareness and ensuring you are spending your days how you really want to be spending them. Reflecting on your own end can be quite uncomfortable, but it’s influence on what you do while you’re alive is too important to overlook.

Upcoming Events in Northern California
On Saturday, June 24, at 3:45pm we’ll be doing a live interview with Citius Magazine, from the Hoppy Brewing Company in Sacramento. If you can’t be there, catch it on Facebook Live on Citius, after the conclusion of Saturday's USA championships!

On Monday, June 26, at 6:30 PM we’ll be joined by Mario Fraioli for a discussion on Peak Performance at the Sports Basement, Presidio, in San Francisco. Details here.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at all these events. We hope to see you there!

We also hope youcontinue to spread the word. If you liked the book, tell your friends, family, and colleagues to give it a read. We’ve been so grateful for the warm reception amongst our core community. The success of the book (which we do get paid for) enables us to continue writing this newsletter (which we don’t get paid for). So yeah, we dig the help 😊

Issue #30: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Neither of us are truly basketball fans, and yet both of us are in awe of the Golden State Warrior’s remarkable season and championship.

How could anyone not be? In a league that is dominated by individual stars—individual brands, really—the Warriors grew into the ultimate team. As a result, they won. A few lessons below we’d all be wise to consider.

Drop Egos: We’ve written about this before but it’s worth repeating. Especially when you have the opportunity to work with other high-performers, you’ve got to leave your ego at the door. The thinking needs to shift from better/worse than him or her to complimentary to him or her. The Warriors have 4 all-stars. If each one primarily thought of himself as such, we doubt they would have won. In fact, over the course of history there have been many teams filled with stars, teams that should have dominated on paper, that as a unit could not win. In these instances the culprit is often not injury but ego.

Ask for Help: Lebron James is a force like none-other. No less than an hour after the Warriors lost to the Cavs last year, Draymond Green allegedly texted Kevin Durant “We need you. Make it happen.” This is no doubt a testament to the force that is Lebron James, but it’s also a testament to Green’s humility to realize his team needed help. In a highly individualistic selfie-stick culture, the default option is often to overcome and go at it alone. Many times, that default option is a foolish one. If you realize that you’re up against Lebron James, ask for help.

Practice Adaptability: The traditional emphasis of either “playing to your strengths” or “working on your weaknesses” is too simplistic. Far more useful is learning how to adapt. The Warriors were so dominant not because of each player’s strengths, but because each player could adapt his game based on how both the opponent and his teammates were playing. Perhaps more than anything, this is what made the Warriors unbeatable. They could always get their opponents, even from places and players where no one was expecting it.

Take the Long View: When a struggling Warriors team played the San Antonio Spurs on March 11, in a nationally-televised marquee showdown to see which team would land atop the Western Conference, Warrior’s coach Steve Kerr decided not to play the team’s entire starting lineup. The Warriors got romped, 107-85. This created an uproar and all kinds of backlash. How could he be resting players so early in the season? To find the answer, fast-forward to April and May, when the Warriors won 27 of their last 28 regular season games and then proceeded to go 16-1 in the playoffs. They were fresh when just about every other team in the NBA was fatigued. Sure, some of this has to do with the depth of the team, but Kerr’s decision to sacrifice short-term gratification for long-term gains was also a contributing factor. He took a loss in March to win in June.

Lead from the Back: Steve Kerr is such a good coach his team hardly needs him. When complications from a spine surgery sidelined Kerr at the end of the regular season and during the playoffs, the team rolled on like it was no big deal. Although it seems like the best leaders are those who step out front, the true sign of a leader is one who has built something so good he or she can step back. Great leaders move their teams toward independence, not dependence.

Book Update

If you haven't yet read the book, please consider doing so! New York Magazine named it one of the best science books of the year and Runner's World called it one of the 6 best reads of 2017!! Week one sales overwhelmed Amazon (literally, they ran out of books...twice) but the next shipment arrives tomorrow or Saturday. Given the slight shipping delay, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have discounted the book to $15. ($10 off!!) You can also consider supporting a brick and mortar bookstore (again, they make our communities better) by purchasing from any of the buy links on the book's website. Whatever route you choose, we really want to get this book in all of your hands. We wouldn't be pushing it so hard if we didn't know it was our best work and confident that it could benefit many.

If you've already read, we want to hear from you! Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. You can do so here. The entire process only takes a minute. Not only are we reading all the reviews, but they also help undecided buyers decide! (Assuming you have something nice to say…) And to those who have already left reviews, thank you! We’ve been honored by what you’ve had to say.

We also hope youcontinue to spread the word. If you liked the book, tell your friends, family, and colleagues to give it a read. We’ve been so grateful for the warm reception amongst our core community. The success of the book (which we do get paid for) enables us to continue writing this newsletter (which we don’t get paid for). So yeah, we dig the help 😊

Issue #30: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Neither of us are truly basketball fans, and yet both of us are in awe of the Golden State Warrior’s remarkable season and championship.

How could anyone not be? In a league that is dominated by individual stars—individual brands, really—the Warriors grew into the ultimate team. As a result, they won. A few lessons below we’d all be wise to consider.

Drop Egos: We’ve written about this before but it’s worth repeating. Especially when you have the opportunity to work with other high-performers, you’ve got to leave your ego at the door. The thinking needs to shift from better/worse than him or her to complimentary to him or her. The Warriors have 4 all-stars. If each one primarily thought of himself as such, we doubt they would have won. In fact, over the course of history there have been many teams filled with stars, teams that should have dominated on paper, that as a unit could not win. In these instances the culprit is often not injury but ego.

Ask for Help: Lebron James is a force like none-other. No less than an hour after the Warriors lost to the Cavs last year, Draymond Green allegedly texted Kevin Durant “We need you. Make it happen.” This is no doubt a testament to the force that is Lebron James, but it’s also a testament to Green’s humility to realize his team needed help. In a highly individualistic selfie-stick culture, the default option is often to overcome and go at it alone. Many times, that default option is a foolish one. If you realize that you’re up against Lebron James, ask for help.

Practice Adaptability: The traditional emphasis of either “playing to your strengths” or “working on your weaknesses” is too simplistic. Far more useful is learning how to adapt. The Warriors were so dominant not because of each player’s strengths, but because each player could adapt his game based on how both the opponent and his teammates were playing. Perhaps more than anything, this is what made the Warriors unbeatable. They could always get their opponents, even from places and players where no one was expecting it.

Take the Long View: When a struggling Warriors team played the San Antonio Spurs on March 11, in a nationally-televised marquee showdown to see which team would land atop the Western Conference, Warrior’s coach Steve Kerr decided not to play the team’s entire starting lineup. The Warriors got romped, 107-85. This created an uproar and all kinds of backlash. How could he be resting players so early in the season? To find the answer, fast-forward to April and May, when the Warriors won 27 of their last 28 regular season games and then proceeded to go 16-1 in the playoffs. They were fresh when just about every other team in the NBA was fatigued. Sure, some of this has to do with the depth of the team, but Kerr’s decision to sacrifice short-term gratification for long-term gains was also a contributing factor. He took a loss in March to win in June.

Lead from the Back: Steve Kerr is such a good coach his team hardly needs him. When complications from a spine surgery sidelined Kerr at the end of the regular season and during the playoffs, the team rolled on like it was no big deal. Although it seems like the best leaders are those who step out front, the true sign of a leader is one who has built something so good he or she can step back. Great leaders move their teams toward independence, not dependence.

Book Update

If you haven't yet read the book, please consider doing so! New York Magazine named it one of the best science books of the year and Runner's World called it one of the 6 best reads of 2017!! Week one sales overwhelmed Amazon (literally, they ran out of books...twice) but the next shipment arrives tomorrow or Saturday. Given the slight shipping delay, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have discounted the book to $15. ($10 off!!) You can also consider supporting a brick and mortar bookstore (again, they make our communities better) by purchasing from any of the buy links on the book's website. Whatever route you choose, we really want to get this book in all of your hands. We wouldn't be pushing it so hard if we didn't know it was our best work and confident that it could benefit many.

If you've already read, we want to hear from you! Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. You can do so here. The entire process only takes a minute. Not only are we reading all the reviews, but they also help undecided buyers decide! (Assuming you have something nice to say…) And to those who have already left reviews, thank you! We’ve been honored by what you’ve had to say.

We also hope youcontinue to spread the word. If you liked the book, tell your friends, family, and colleagues to give it a read. We’ve been so grateful for the warm reception amongst our core community. The success of the book (which we do get paid for) enables us to continue writing this newsletter (which we don’t get paid for). So yeah, we dig the help 😊

Issue #29: The Power of the People Around You.

An enormous part of self-improvement is with whom you surround yourself.

We’ve both had the opportunity to spend time at world-class athletic programs—places like ALTIS that produce numerous Olympic medals (which is really hard to do) or GAIN, which grooms some of the finest coaches. What sets the best apart from the rest isn’t cutting-edge technology, or ritzy facilities, or even great individual athletes or coaches. It’s the supportive community and culture; when the athletes and coaches are all dedicated to getting better and supporting each other in doing so. This kind of culture makes doing the hard thing just a little easier, whether the “hard thing” is a specific task, keeping a positive attitude amongst a string of setbacks, or gritting out a tedious stretch of work.

What’s interesting is that while positivity and great leaders can boost the group up, it’s negativity that is unfortunately most powerful. In other words, most teams are pulled heavily toward the lowest common denominator. As the Stoic philosopher Epictetus said years ago, “Remember that if you consort with someone covered in dirt you can hardly avoid getting a little grimy yourself.”

Consider a 2010study of United States Air Force Cadets in which psychologists from the National Bureau of Economic Research tracked a cohort of cadets over 4 years. The researchers found that while there was variability in fitness gains/losses across all the cadets, there was hardly any variability within squadrons. Squadrons are groups of about 30 cadets to which an individual is randomly assigned prior to his freshman year. Cadets spend the vast majority of their time interacting with peers in their squadron. In a sense, the squadron becomes a second family: Cadets in the same squadron eat, sleep, study, and work out together. Even though all the squadrons trained and recovered in exactly the same manner, some squadrons showed vast increases in fitness over 4 years whereas others did not.

It turns out the determining factor as to whether the 30 cadets within a squadron improved was the motivation of the least fit person in the group. If the least fit person was motivated to improve, then his enthusiasm spread and everyone improved. If, on the other hand, the least fit person was apathetic or, worse, negative, he dragged everyone down. Just like diseases easily spread through tight-knit groups, so does motivation. And it’s quite contagious.

Even the simple act of observing others can affect your own motivation, and in ways far broader than physical fitness. For instance, researchers at the University of Rochester had subjects watch a video of someone describing themselves as being either intrinsically motivated (i.e., motivation comes from within) or extrinsically motivated (i.e., motivation comes from external recognition and rewards) to play a game. Those who were assigned to watch the video of people describing themselves as being intrinsically motivated reported feeling more intrinsically motivated themselves. Furthermore, when researchers left the subjects alone, those who had watched the intrinsic video started playing—and of their own volition—the same game shown in the video, while those who watched the extrinsic video did not. Perhaps most fascinating is that these effects were strong irrespective of whether someone identified as being intrinsically or extrinsically motivated prior to the experiment. It’s as if your own attitude pales in comparison to the attitudes of those around you.

So much focus on behavior change and performance focuses on the individual. Yet that’s only half the story. Working to build a better self almost always means working to build a better community or tribe with which you surround it. This concept holds true whether you are trying to get better at running, painting, writing, making music, parenting, or coaching. It also holds true if you are trying to quit smoking, adhere to a healthier way of eating, or start a new exercise program. It’s true if you are a beginner or on the verge of becoming world-class. In other words, the people with whom you surround yourself have an enormous impact on your life. In many ways, they shape it.

Who is in your squadron? Whose motivation is rubbing off on you?

It’s no wonder all of our mentors who are old-timers in their respective fields are all parts of intimate and highly-engaged networks. And why they prioritize building and nurturing community. Plato once said, “What is honored in a culture gets cultivated there.” Putting yourself in cultures that work in service of your goals and values is a powerful way to ensure you live them.

Issue #29: The Power of the People Around You.

An enormous part of self-improvement is with whom you surround yourself.

We’ve both had the opportunity to spend time at world-class athletic programs—places like ALTIS that produce numerous Olympic medals (which is really hard to do) or GAIN, which grooms some of the finest coaches. What sets the best apart from the rest isn’t cutting-edge technology, or ritzy facilities, or even great individual athletes or coaches. It’s the supportive community and culture; when the athletes and coaches are all dedicated to getting better and supporting each other in doing so. This kind of culture makes doing the hard thing just a little easier, whether the “hard thing” is a specific task, keeping a positive attitude amongst a string of setbacks, or gritting out a tedious stretch of work.

What’s interesting is that while positivity and great leaders can boost the group up, it’s negativity that is unfortunately most powerful. In other words, most teams are pulled heavily toward the lowest common denominator. As the Stoic philosopher Epictetus said years ago, “Remember that if you consort with someone covered in dirt you can hardly avoid getting a little grimy yourself.”

Consider a 2010study of United States Air Force Cadets in which psychologists from the National Bureau of Economic Research tracked a cohort of cadets over 4 years. The researchers found that while there was variability in fitness gains/losses across all the cadets, there was hardly any variability within squadrons. Squadrons are groups of about 30 cadets to which an individual is randomly assigned prior to his freshman year. Cadets spend the vast majority of their time interacting with peers in their squadron. In a sense, the squadron becomes a second family: Cadets in the same squadron eat, sleep, study, and work out together. Even though all the squadrons trained and recovered in exactly the same manner, some squadrons showed vast increases in fitness over 4 years whereas others did not.

It turns out the determining factor as to whether the 30 cadets within a squadron improved was the motivation of the least fit person in the group. If the least fit person was motivated to improve, then his enthusiasm spread and everyone improved. If, on the other hand, the least fit person was apathetic or, worse, negative, he dragged everyone down. Just like diseases easily spread through tight-knit groups, so does motivation. And it’s quite contagious.

Even the simple act of observing others can affect your own motivation, and in ways far broader than physical fitness. For instance, researchers at the University of Rochester had subjects watch a video of someone describing themselves as being either intrinsically motivated (i.e., motivation comes from within) or extrinsically motivated (i.e., motivation comes from external recognition and rewards) to play a game. Those who were assigned to watch the video of people describing themselves as being intrinsically motivated reported feeling more intrinsically motivated themselves. Furthermore, when researchers left the subjects alone, those who had watched the intrinsic video started playing—and of their own volition—the same game shown in the video, while those who watched the extrinsic video did not. Perhaps most fascinating is that these effects were strong irrespective of whether someone identified as being intrinsically or extrinsically motivated prior to the experiment. It’s as if your own attitude pales in comparison to the attitudes of those around you.

So much focus on behavior change and performance focuses on the individual. Yet that’s only half the story. Working to build a better self almost always means working to build a better community or tribe with which you surround it. This concept holds true whether you are trying to get better at running, painting, writing, making music, parenting, or coaching. It also holds true if you are trying to quit smoking, adhere to a healthier way of eating, or start a new exercise program. It’s true if you are a beginner or on the verge of becoming world-class. In other words, the people with whom you surround yourself have an enormous impact on your life. In many ways, they shape it.

Who is in your squadron? Whose motivation is rubbing off on you?

It’s no wonder all of our mentors who are old-timers in their respective fields are all parts of intimate and highly-engaged networks. And why they prioritize building and nurturing community. Plato once said, “What is honored in a culture gets cultivated there.” Putting yourself in cultures that work in service of your goals and values is a powerful way to ensure you live them.

Issue #28: Bouncing Back From Failure - And Success.

Before we get to this week's main topic, in case you missed it, last week we unveiled the chapters of our forthcoming book, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success. We also shared an exclusive excerpt from the opening of the book.

You can view the chapters and read the excerpt at this link, available only to newsletter subscribers.

To those of you who already pre-ordered, thank you! You'll receive (via email) the professionally-designed overview and application PDF on June 05, and we'll announce the winners of the contests (as well as the dates for the video coaching conferences) on June 13.

To those of you who have not yet pre-ordered, if you do so before the end of tomorrow (Friday, May 12) you'll still be eligible for all the giveaways:

After you’ve ordered, just fill out this brief google form that asks for your name, email, and order number.

Thanks again for all your support in making this book, which is really an extension of this newsletter, a success!

And with that, on to today's main topic...

Bouncing back from failure—and success.

Individuals on the path of mastery are driven from within. Their primary motivation isn’t success or fear, and it’s certainly not satisfying others or conforming to a certain peer group or social norms. Rather, their motivation originates from an internal desire to improve and engage in an activity for its own sake. This doesn’t mean that each day of their pursuit will be exciting or pleasurable. But it does mean that they will show steadfast enthusiasm about the entire journey.

Take, for example, an Olympic swimmer on the path of mastery. She is unlikely to be enthusiastic about every workout. And while she’ll certainly be excited for the Olympic Games, that still won’t be her primary motivation either. Rather, her focus will be on her overall progression as a swimmer—on pushing her physical and psychological capabilities and evolving her stroke and its relationship with the water. Following races in which she wins gold medals, after all the other competitors have filed out of the arena to celebrate or sleep, she’ll be alone in the pool working on her stroke, making subtle adjustments, trying to get better even though she’s just been crowned the best there is.

If this swimmer sounds like someone you know, that’s because, odds are, you do. Her name is Katie Ledecky. She’s on the path of mastery, and, after winning five gold medals at the recent Rio Olympic Games, she’s quickly becoming one of the most decorated female athletes ever to live.

Ledecky turned down at least $5 million per year worth of sponsorship money (and the immediate fame that would have accompanied it) so she could swim at Stanford University. When she was asked if it was a difficult decision, she simply replied: “No. It wasn’t.” She knew deep-down inside that she wanted the experience of swimming collegiately and she thought doing so would be better for her long-term development and progression.

How similar are you to Katie Ledecky? We’re not talking about your swimming prowess or your ability at anything for that matter. We’re talking about your mindset. From where does your motivation predominantly come?

Predominantly is key here. Unless you’re a robot, there is no avoiding that a part of your drive will stem from external results and trying to avoid failure. Katie Ledecky wanted to win all those medals at the Rio Olympic Games and surely there was some part of her that didn’t want to disappoint her coaches and fans. But even more than wanting to win gold and meet expectations, Ledecky wants to progress as a swimmer. Why else would she be practicing after dominating in all her events or turn down millions of dollars to go pro early? The lion’s share of her drive comes from within. Ledecky doesn’t judge herself against others so much as she judges herself against prior versions of herself. This is about as healthy a form of competition there is.

It’s worth repeating: being driving from within acknowledges that external motivators—be it Olympic medals, book sales, art commissions, or venture capital funding—will influence your motivation. At the same time, however, it ensures that the influence of such external motivators remains a minor one. Of course, this doesn’t happen automatically. It takes concrete actions to keep external motivators from staking too great a claim in your psyche and inconspicuously turning your pursuit from one that is harmonious to one that is obsessive. Perhaps the simplest and most effective of these actions is showing up and doing the work, every damn day.

Doing the work has a special way of putting both success and failure in their respective place. After a massive achievement or a devastating failure, getting back to work serves as an embodied reminder that external results aren’t why you are in this. You are in this because, on average, you love what you do. Because you are pursuing mastery—a commitment to your craft and ongoing progression in it. You aren’t as much striving for specific goals as you are being present in an ongoing practice.

Your book hits the New York Times bestseller list? Write. Doing so will be humbling and remind you that you prefer writing books to talking about writing books. Your book flops and fails to sell more than 100 copies? Write. Doing so will be cathartic and draw you back into your craft.

Your start-up attracts $1 million in seed funding? Get to work on executing the plan and start prospecting immediately. Your start-up fails to attract seed funding? Get to work on refining the plan and seeking other investors.

You win multiple gold medals in the Olympics? Swim. You fail to live up to external expectations in the Olympics? Swim.

Sure, it’s only human to get a jolt of excitement after a big win or to feel disappointment after a tough loss. Enjoy the success or grieve the defeat, but within 48-hours, get back to work. Here are two additional examples, both a bit more intimate, of how this can play out:

After one of us writes something that receives a positive reception from others, right when we begin to feel like we might become vain about it, we force ourselves to start on the next piece of work. Doing so has an immediate humbling effect. No different when we write something that tanks. Rather than feel sorry for ourselves we start on the next story or book. By doing this, we are reminded that we love writing far more than we love getting recognized for it. It’s a tried and true means of preventing the emotions associated with external recognition or failure from staking too great of a claim on our motivation.

When coaching a runner, regardless of his age, we have a one-night rule: After a race, he has until the next morning to celebrate or ruminate about his performance. Once he wakes up, it’s back to the grind, back to putting in the work required to get better. After a poor performance, getting back to work silences the negative voice in his head. After a triumphant performance, getting back to work prevents complacency from laying down even in a single root.

Big wins and tough losses share at least one thing in common: it is indeed hard to get back to work after them. Force yourself to overcome the resistance.

Intrinsic motivation does not occur on its own. Without rapidly coming back to your work, external motivators are likely to creep into and eventually dominate your psyche. Do not let this happen. Proactively nurture your intrinsic motivation instead.

Issue #28: Bouncing Back From Failure - And Success.

Before we get to this week's main topic, in case you missed it, last week we unveiled the chapters of our forthcoming book, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success. We also shared an exclusive excerpt from the opening of the book.

You can view the chapters and read the excerpt at this link, available only to newsletter subscribers.

To those of you who already pre-ordered, thank you! You'll receive (via email) the professionally-designed overview and application PDF on June 05, and we'll announce the winners of the contests (as well as the dates for the video coaching conferences) on June 13.

To those of you who have not yet pre-ordered, if you do so before the end of tomorrow (Friday, May 12) you'll still be eligible for all the giveaways:

After you’ve ordered, just fill out this brief google form that asks for your name, email, and order number.

Thanks again for all your support in making this book, which is really an extension of this newsletter, a success!

And with that, on to today's main topic...

Bouncing back from failure—and success.

Individuals on the path of mastery are driven from within. Their primary motivation isn’t success or fear, and it’s certainly not satisfying others or conforming to a certain peer group or social norms. Rather, their motivation originates from an internal desire to improve and engage in an activity for its own sake. This doesn’t mean that each day of their pursuit will be exciting or pleasurable. But it does mean that they will show steadfast enthusiasm about the entire journey.

Take, for example, an Olympic swimmer on the path of mastery. She is unlikely to be enthusiastic about every workout. And while she’ll certainly be excited for the Olympic Games, that still won’t be her primary motivation either. Rather, her focus will be on her overall progression as a swimmer—on pushing her physical and psychological capabilities and evolving her stroke and its relationship with the water. Following races in which she wins gold medals, after all the other competitors have filed out of the arena to celebrate or sleep, she’ll be alone in the pool working on her stroke, making subtle adjustments, trying to get better even though she’s just been crowned the best there is.

If this swimmer sounds like someone you know, that’s because, odds are, you do. Her name is Katie Ledecky. She’s on the path of mastery, and, after winning five gold medals at the recent Rio Olympic Games, she’s quickly becoming one of the most decorated female athletes ever to live.

Ledecky turned down at least $5 million per year worth of sponsorship money (and the immediate fame that would have accompanied it) so she could swim at Stanford University. When she was asked if it was a difficult decision, she simply replied: “No. It wasn’t.” She knew deep-down inside that she wanted the experience of swimming collegiately and she thought doing so would be better for her long-term development and progression.

How similar are you to Katie Ledecky? We’re not talking about your swimming prowess or your ability at anything for that matter. We’re talking about your mindset. From where does your motivation predominantly come?

Predominantly is key here. Unless you’re a robot, there is no avoiding that a part of your drive will stem from external results and trying to avoid failure. Katie Ledecky wanted to win all those medals at the Rio Olympic Games and surely there was some part of her that didn’t want to disappoint her coaches and fans. But even more than wanting to win gold and meet expectations, Ledecky wants to progress as a swimmer. Why else would she be practicing after dominating in all her events or turn down millions of dollars to go pro early? The lion’s share of her drive comes from within. Ledecky doesn’t judge herself against others so much as she judges herself against prior versions of herself. This is about as healthy a form of competition there is.

It’s worth repeating: being driving from within acknowledges that external motivators—be it Olympic medals, book sales, art commissions, or venture capital funding—will influence your motivation. At the same time, however, it ensures that the influence of such external motivators remains a minor one. Of course, this doesn’t happen automatically. It takes concrete actions to keep external motivators from staking too great a claim in your psyche and inconspicuously turning your pursuit from one that is harmonious to one that is obsessive. Perhaps the simplest and most effective of these actions is showing up and doing the work, every damn day.

Doing the work has a special way of putting both success and failure in their respective place. After a massive achievement or a devastating failure, getting back to work serves as an embodied reminder that external results aren’t why you are in this. You are in this because, on average, you love what you do. Because you are pursuing mastery—a commitment to your craft and ongoing progression in it. You aren’t as much striving for specific goals as you are being present in an ongoing practice.

Your book hits the New York Times bestseller list? Write. Doing so will be humbling and remind you that you prefer writing books to talking about writing books. Your book flops and fails to sell more than 100 copies? Write. Doing so will be cathartic and draw you back into your craft.

Your start-up attracts $1 million in seed funding? Get to work on executing the plan and start prospecting immediately. Your start-up fails to attract seed funding? Get to work on refining the plan and seeking other investors.

You win multiple gold medals in the Olympics? Swim. You fail to live up to external expectations in the Olympics? Swim.

Sure, it’s only human to get a jolt of excitement after a big win or to feel disappointment after a tough loss. Enjoy the success or grieve the defeat, but within 48-hours, get back to work. Here are two additional examples, both a bit more intimate, of how this can play out:

After one of us writes something that receives a positive reception from others, right when we begin to feel like we might become vain about it, we force ourselves to start on the next piece of work. Doing so has an immediate humbling effect. No different when we write something that tanks. Rather than feel sorry for ourselves we start on the next story or book. By doing this, we are reminded that we love writing far more than we love getting recognized for it. It’s a tried and true means of preventing the emotions associated with external recognition or failure from staking too great of a claim on our motivation.

When coaching a runner, regardless of his age, we have a one-night rule: After a race, he has until the next morning to celebrate or ruminate about his performance. Once he wakes up, it’s back to the grind, back to putting in the work required to get better. After a poor performance, getting back to work silences the negative voice in his head. After a triumphant performance, getting back to work prevents complacency from laying down even in a single root.

Big wins and tough losses share at least one thing in common: it is indeed hard to get back to work after them. Force yourself to overcome the resistance.

Intrinsic motivation does not occur on its own. Without rapidly coming back to your work, external motivators are likely to creep into and eventually dominate your psyche. Do not let this happen. Proactively nurture your intrinsic motivation instead.

Thriving in Uncertain Environments

A few years back, an athlete with whom we work was toeing the start line prior to an important race. He had put in tons of work in the prior months, executing every workout to a T. He approached his training meticulously—always hitting specific workouts at specific paces. The entire buildup to his race was flawless; it epitomized systematic progression. The only problem? The race itself was anything but systematic. Race day came with torrential downpours, humidity beyond what he’d expected, swirling winds, poor course measurements, and a lead pack of runners who paced erratically. In other words: pure chaos.

Our athlete completely fell apart. And who could blame him? He was accustomed to running evenly paced workouts at the perfect time of day on tightly-gauged courses. He would have smoked the race under usual conditions. But he was ill-prepared for unusual ones.

Ever since this experience, we’ve both thrown more chaos into the way that we coach (both on the road, and off). It's a shift to resilience thinking.

Resilience Thinking

Methodical and regimented planning works wonderfully under predictable and controllable conditions. But rarely are we operating in such circumstances. More often than not, we’re operating in complex and unstable environments where immeasurable variables can, and do, interact and change in unimaginable ways. If we—and “we” could be an athlete, a company, or a politician—can’t adapt, then we’re bound to struggle (at best) or downright fall apart (at worst).

An important and often overlooked issue of modern times is that as we become more reliant on technology and data to help us scheme and plan, we become less capable of going off script. When we are extremely methodical, we’ll be better most of the time but risk catastrophic failure some of the time. In other words, we become very strong and robust but not at all resilient.

In their book Resilience Thinking, Brian Walker and David Salt define resilience as “the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure.” They go on to write that, “The more you optimize the elements of a complex system, the more you diminish its resilience. The drive for an efficient optimal state outcome has the effect of making the system more prone to disturbances.”

Increasingly, we are living in a world that seems wonderful when everything is going as planned but wholly uncomfortable when it’s not.

Becoming More Adaptable

None of this is to say that we should completely discard systems and planning. However, we need to make sure that in parallel to laying down extensive plans, we are also laying down the ability to adapt. This is a concept that applies to just about anything.

A company should never become so bureaucratic that it can’t respond to sudden changes in the market. Instead, it should empower employees to make quick decisions during unforeseen circumstances. (Think: American Airlines recent fiasco!)

As an athlete pursues excellence in her sport, she should maintain and cultivate other interests, too. This way, if she gets injured or is otherwise forced to retire, she won’t be completely lost.

Anyone who relies on machines should have confidence that they could at least get by if the machines fail. This could be as simple as learning to exercise without a GPS watch and as complex as learning to fly a plane without a fully functioning dashboard.

A politician must be able to release from her plans in the midst of a campaign.

Even in deeply romantic relationships, there’s something to say for maintaining a sense of self. Rarely do two people die at the same time. Moving on is never easy, but at least it is possible if you yourself don’t completely die when your loved one does.

The investor and author Nassim Taleb calls this becoming “antifragile” and the economist Tim Harford writes it’s about being able to “embrace the messiness of life.” In both cases, you are strong and flexible at the same time.

Another way to think about this concept is by looking to evolution. Species that endure have strong cores but are able to constantly adapt around that core: without a strong core, they become something different; without the ability to adapt, they get selected out when the environment changes.

Most of us do a lot to develop our respective cores. These are the goals, routines, systems, and relationships that we expect to serve us well always. And while we’re not suggesting you do away with any of that, we do think it’s worthwhile to think about what you can do to develop adaptability as well. At some point or another your survival—be it in a sporting competition, career, or in some cases, in life—will depend on it.

Thriving in Uncertain Environments

A few years back, an athlete with whom we work was toeing the start line prior to an important race. He had put in tons of work in the prior months, executing every workout to a T. He approached his training meticulously—always hitting specific workouts at specific paces. The entire buildup to his race was flawless; it epitomized systematic progression. The only problem? The race itself was anything but systematic. Race day came with torrential downpours, humidity beyond what he’d expected, swirling winds, poor course measurements, and a lead pack of runners who paced erratically. In other words: pure chaos.

Our athlete completely fell apart. And who could blame him? He was accustomed to running evenly paced workouts at the perfect time of day on tightly-gauged courses. He would have smoked the race under usual conditions. But he was ill-prepared for unusual ones.

Ever since this experience, we’ve both thrown more chaos into the way that we coach (both on the road, and off). It's a shift to resilience thinking.

Resilience Thinking

Methodical and regimented planning works wonderfully under predictable and controllable conditions. But rarely are we operating in such circumstances. More often than not, we’re operating in complex and unstable environments where immeasurable variables can, and do, interact and change in unimaginable ways. If we—and “we” could be an athlete, a company, or a politician—can’t adapt, then we’re bound to struggle (at best) or downright fall apart (at worst).

An important and often overlooked issue of modern times is that as we become more reliant on technology and data to help us scheme and plan, we become less capable of going off script. When we are extremely methodical, we’ll be better most of the time but risk catastrophic failure some of the time. In other words, we become very strong and robust but not at all resilient.

In their book Resilience Thinking, Brian Walker and David Salt define resilience as “the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure.” They go on to write that, “The more you optimize the elements of a complex system, the more you diminish its resilience. The drive for an efficient optimal state outcome has the effect of making the system more prone to disturbances.”

Increasingly, we are living in a world that seems wonderful when everything is going as planned but wholly uncomfortable when it’s not.

Becoming More Adaptable

None of this is to say that we should completely discard systems and planning. However, we need to make sure that in parallel to laying down extensive plans, we are also laying down the ability to adapt. This is a concept that applies to just about anything.

A company should never become so bureaucratic that it can’t respond to sudden changes in the market. Instead, it should empower employees to make quick decisions during unforeseen circumstances. (Think: American Airlines recent fiasco!)

As an athlete pursues excellence in her sport, she should maintain and cultivate other interests, too. This way, if she gets injured or is otherwise forced to retire, she won’t be completely lost.

Anyone who relies on machines should have confidence that they could at least get by if the machines fail. This could be as simple as learning to exercise without a GPS watch and as complex as learning to fly a plane without a fully functioning dashboard.

A politician must be able to release from her plans in the midst of a campaign.

Even in deeply romantic relationships, there’s something to say for maintaining a sense of self. Rarely do two people die at the same time. Moving on is never easy, but at least it is possible if you yourself don’t completely die when your loved one does.

The investor and author Nassim Taleb calls this becoming “antifragile” and the economist Tim Harford writes it’s about being able to “embrace the messiness of life.” In both cases, you are strong and flexible at the same time.

Another way to think about this concept is by looking to evolution. Species that endure have strong cores but are able to constantly adapt around that core: without a strong core, they become something different; without the ability to adapt, they get selected out when the environment changes.

Most of us do a lot to develop our respective cores. These are the goals, routines, systems, and relationships that we expect to serve us well always. And while we’re not suggesting you do away with any of that, we do think it’s worthwhile to think about what you can do to develop adaptability as well. At some point or another your survival—be it in a sporting competition, career, or in some cases, in life—will depend on it.

Issue #26 - Choose Long-Term Growth

A universal trap—one that affects athletes, artists, students, entrepreneurs, and even entire organizations—is the pursuit of short-term pleasure over long-term growth.

Consider the following examples:

The runner who crash-diets and trains at insane intensity so he can run a phenomenal marathon but, as a result, disrupts his hormonal balance, suffers from frequent illness and stress fractures, and is forced to retire early. He burns bright for a day at the expense of a career.

The writer who craves validation so she writes endless click-bait articles instead of devoting time to a project that is more meaningful but does not carry an immediate payoff.

The student who crams for an exam by memorizing answers or developing absurd mnemonics and gets 100 percent tomorrow only to forget everything he “learned” one month from now.

The entrepreneur who changes her business plan to attract a slightly better VC deal rather than sticking to her guns and pursuing what she really believes will work.

The company that keeps its stock price inflated but neglects longer-term research and development; it crushes earnings this quarter but is out of business the next.

These examples are analogous to choosing ice-cream and cigarettes. They may make us feel good in the moment, but, generally speaking, are bad for us later on.

This isn’t to say runners should never really go for it in a particular race (at times, they should), writers should never file click-bait articles (at times, we have), or that memorizing one’s way to a good exam is never an effective strategy (at times, it can be). But these decisions should be litmus-tested against the pursuit of a longer-term objective and only executed if they work in service of it. Otherwise, the temptation must be resisted.

This practice requires:

Defining a long-term goal, or, even better, a path that you want to be on.

Reminding yourself of that goal or path frequently.

Resisting short-term pleasure and gratification in favor of long-term growth.

2 Practical Strategies to Practice Long-Term Growth

The way in which we evaluate ourselves and our circumstances is often clouded by our emotions, and the allure of pleasure now is a strong one. An effective and evidence-based strategy to overcome the urge for pleasure now is to imagine that a friend is faced with the same decision that you are and then pretend that you are giving advice to your friend. What would you tell him? Called self-distancing, this strategy takes your emotional self out of the picture, allowing you to see and think about it more clearly. (For more on self-distancing, read this article.)

Another way to evaluate short-term/long-term tradeoffs is to pause and ask yourself: “How will I feel about this decision tomorrow, next week, next year, or even a decade from now?” When you answer, don’t just do so in your head, but also in your body and heart. Imagine the embodied and emotional state that accompanies your answer. If you feel upset, disgusted, or regretful, suddenly, the short-term “pleasure” doesn’t seem all that pleasurable any more. (This works great for individuals on diets who are faced with the temptation to binge on unhealthy foods—i.e., how will they feel about this tomorrow morning—but it’s applicable to just about any situation.)

The first of these strategies (pretending you’re giving advice to a friend) turns an emotional decision into a more rational one. The second (feeling the future) changes the in-the-moment emotion associated with the decision. Both encourage long-term growth thinking.

A Recap: Staying on the Path of Long-Term Growth

Define your long-term goal or the path on which you want to be.

Understand: short-term pleasure often come at the expense of long-term gain.

When making decisions, ask yourself if they work in service of your long-term goal/path.

If the answer isn’t clear, use one of the two strategies we discussed: pretend you’re giving advice to a friend or feel the future emotional state your decision will elicit.

Sometimes you need to opt for what seems like a short-term decision just to survive. These instances are rare, but they do exist. So long as you go through the above framework, you’ll be prepared to make a sound decision—and one that you aren’t likely to regret.

When you fully internalize the path of long-term growth, the difference between what feels good in the short-term and what is good in the long-term ceases to exist at all.

Issue #26 - Choose Long-Term Growth

A universal trap—one that affects athletes, artists, students, entrepreneurs, and even entire organizations—is the pursuit of short-term pleasure over long-term growth.

Consider the following examples:

The runner who crash-diets and trains at insane intensity so he can run a phenomenal marathon but, as a result, disrupts his hormonal balance, suffers from frequent illness and stress fractures, and is forced to retire early. He burns bright for a day at the expense of a career.

The writer who craves validation so she writes endless click-bait articles instead of devoting time to a project that is more meaningful but does not carry an immediate payoff.

The student who crams for an exam by memorizing answers or developing absurd mnemonics and gets 100 percent tomorrow only to forget everything he “learned” one month from now.

The entrepreneur who changes her business plan to attract a slightly better VC deal rather than sticking to her guns and pursuing what she really believes will work.

The company that keeps its stock price inflated but neglects longer-term research and development; it crushes earnings this quarter but is out of business the next.

These examples are analogous to choosing ice-cream and cigarettes. They may make us feel good in the moment, but, generally speaking, are bad for us later on.

This isn’t to say runners should never really go for it in a particular race (at times, they should), writers should never file click-bait articles (at times, we have), or that memorizing one’s way to a good exam is never an effective strategy (at times, it can be). But these decisions should be litmus-tested against the pursuit of a longer-term objective and only executed if they work in service of it. Otherwise, the temptation must be resisted.

This practice requires:

Defining a long-term goal, or, even better, a path that you want to be on.

Reminding yourself of that goal or path frequently.

Resisting short-term pleasure and gratification in favor of long-term growth.

2 Practical Strategies to Practice Long-Term Growth

The way in which we evaluate ourselves and our circumstances is often clouded by our emotions, and the allure of pleasure now is a strong one. An effective and evidence-based strategy to overcome the urge for pleasure now is to imagine that a friend is faced with the same decision that you are and then pretend that you are giving advice to your friend. What would you tell him? Called self-distancing, this strategy takes your emotional self out of the picture, allowing you to see and think about it more clearly. (For more on self-distancing, read this article.)

Another way to evaluate short-term/long-term tradeoffs is to pause and ask yourself: “How will I feel about this decision tomorrow, next week, next year, or even a decade from now?” When you answer, don’t just do so in your head, but also in your body and heart. Imagine the embodied and emotional state that accompanies your answer. If you feel upset, disgusted, or regretful, suddenly, the short-term “pleasure” doesn’t seem all that pleasurable any more. (This works great for individuals on diets who are faced with the temptation to binge on unhealthy foods—i.e., how will they feel about this tomorrow morning—but it’s applicable to just about any situation.)

The first of these strategies (pretending you’re giving advice to a friend) turns an emotional decision into a more rational one. The second (feeling the future) changes the in-the-moment emotion associated with the decision. Both encourage long-term growth thinking.

A Recap: Staying on the Path of Long-Term Growth

Define your long-term goal or the path on which you want to be.

Understand: short-term pleasure often come at the expense of long-term gain.

When making decisions, ask yourself if they work in service of your long-term goal/path.

If the answer isn’t clear, use one of the two strategies we discussed: pretend you’re giving advice to a friend or feel the future emotional state your decision will elicit.

Sometimes you need to opt for what seems like a short-term decision just to survive. These instances are rare, but they do exist. So long as you go through the above framework, you’ll be prepared to make a sound decision—and one that you aren’t likely to regret.

When you fully internalize the path of long-term growth, the difference between what feels good in the short-term and what is good in the long-term ceases to exist at all.

This list is good but it left out an asset of vast value—so vast, we decided it merited its own newsletter. So today we're writing about the power of shared purpose.

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that a strong sense of purpose boosts motivation along with the ability to endure discomfort. This is why following groundbreaking performances, so many athletes report that when they were really going for it, putting their bodies in the pain cave, their minds were focused on family, religion, or some other meaningful cause to which they were devoting their race. It’s also why studies have found that when employees believe their work has meaning, they perform better on the job—whether that job be solicitation, sales, or even janitorial service. And finally, although it’s by no means a positive, purpose is also why religious extremists are such a force to reckon with. Across the board, for better or worse, purpose underpins lasting effort.

In addition to its motivational power, when members in a team share the same purpose, that team transforms into a more effective, cohesive, and higher-performing unit.

In his excellent book, Team of Teams, General Stanley McChrystal and colleagues state that when teams are fused by a common purpose, they become quick and adaptable, especially in complex situations. Under normal, predictable circumstances, most team members know what to do: it’s simply a matter of following the playbook. This is true whether we’re discussing a corporate team or a football team. But sometimes those circumstances change faster than the playbook can—for example, a competitor enters the market with a disruptive technology, the opposing team turns to never-before seen formations, or a leader unexpectedly becomes ill and/or incapacitated. Under this type of uncertainty and confusion, teams with a shared purpose have an immense edge.

Purpose acts as the ultimate heuristic for quick decision making. When there are no existing rules or precedents for a given situation, individual team members can ask: Does my next action correspond with our team’s purpose? In the words of McChrystal, shared purpose, along with deep trust, “gives teams the ability to reconfigure and ‘do the right thing,’ and also, to know what the right thing is.”

Of course, the kind of shared purpose McChrystal mentions is not akin to a rarely-referenced mission statement or some motivational poster on the wall. For a purpose to be powerful, not only must all team members truly believe in it but they must also feel it and it needs to be reflected in the team’s operations.

Ask yourself:

If you coach/manage/teach, do your athletes/employees/students deeply feel a shared sense of purpose?

Skeptics will inevitably say that all this talk about purpose is “soft.” But they are mistaken. As a matter of fact, cultivating a shared purpose leads to many “hard” results. In an athlete-coach relationship, it’s how an athlete knows whether or not to continue with a workout when they feel off or perhaps a little niggle in their body. In a student-teacher relationship, it’s why a student remains ethical when they may otherwise be tempted to cheat. In the workplace, it’s how employees learn to make decisions without needing micro-management (something that is liberating for all parties involved).

Cultivating and internalizing a shared purpose isn’t easy. It requires time, energy, and an environment that is psychologically safe. And though the intricacies of exactly how to develop such a purpose are too long for this newsletter, we do cover them in more detail (a whole chapter, actually) in Peak Performance, the book.*

*Note: We may link to the book from time-to-time and we don’t want to beat around the bush about it. Two things are true:

1) Of course we want you to buy the book;
2) Even so, we still dislike self-promoting.

The fact of the matter is that in examples like this, there reallyis just too much info to include in a short-form article. So, if you’re interested in the topic, we want to let you know that you’ll be able to find more in the book. We hope that by now it’s clear that we LOVE writing about and sharing this stuff (if you’re a new reader, just see our archive ). To that end, we hope that mentions of the book neither annoy nor bother you. If they do, then sorry in advance, and remember that you can always unsubscribe.